Council tax could rise by four per cent every year until 2019

District council reveals full scale of devastating cuts

COUNCIL tax could rise by as much as 15 per cent and more public services will be axed over the next four years as West Berkshire Council looks to make savings of almost £40m.

The full devastating scale of the council’s unprecedented cuts was laid bare for the very first time this week with the news that it may have to increase council tax by a minimum of 3.75 per cent every year until 2019 to find the money.

It is already proposing to raise council tax by four per cent and cut services in April 2016 as it looks to save £19m in 2016/17 alone.

If you thought that was bad, the four-year financial outlook for the council looks just as bleak.

The Government has worked out the council’s funding entitlement based on assumptions that it will raise council tax by 3.75 per cent over the next four years.

If it doesn’t follow those recommendations, it could be forced to save £7m in 2017/18 and 2018/19 and 2019/20 – all of which would have to come through a mixture of cuts to vital services, an increase in charges and internal redundancies.

This year’s likely four per cent rise will see the West Berkshire Council section of the council tax bill for an average band D property rise by £50 a year.

In another blow to many of the districts’ taxpayers, Conservative-controlled Newbury Town Council recently voted to raise its precept by 4.6 per cent – adding £3.50 a year to the average band D property’s bill – while the Tory-led Thatcham Town Council’s precept has also gone up – by two per cent.

At parish level, Greenham Parish Council has also put its precept up by three per cent.

This week it was also announced that Thames Valley Police will be increasing its precept by 1.99 per cent, adding £3.26 per year to a band D household’s council tax bill.

West Berkshire Council’s leader, Roger Croft, said: “Local residents should be under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face in finding £18.9m savings – around a fifth of our entire budget – in one year.

“It means we now have to consider areas which even a few weeks ago would have been unthinkable but that’s the position we’ve been left in.

“In the past we’ve resisted putting up council tax as we know local residents are facing increased living costs and instead we’ve chosen to protect frontline services rather than accumulate large reserves.

“However, given the scale of the challenges ahead, it is with regret that there is now no alternative but to consider an increase.

“By asking all residents to pay a little bit more it will allow us to protect some of the most critical services we provide to the community.

“Council tax alone won’t plug the gap in our finances however and nor will the proposed savings we’ve already found.”

The council originally thought it would have to save £10.8m next year, but has been rocked by the news that central government intends to cut its main source of funding by almost half.

This means it could have to save an extra £8.9m on top of the £10.8m already announced.

It has already consulted on proposed cuts to 47 areas of public spending including closing children’s centres and care homes, raising car parking charges and cutting funding for disabled children and mental health charities.

It is now holding a second public consultation on the latest round of cuts – but only for three weeks – as it is legally required to produce a budget in early March.

The consultation will begin on Monday, February 15, and close on Monday, March 7.

Details of the proposals will be published at the beginning of the consultation and will be found at www.westberks.gov.uk/budgetproposals.

The council says it will still be able to adjust its budget following the second consultation.

Once closed, consultation feedback will be considered and if any issues are raised which require a change to these plans the executive will consider the feedback and make any necessary decisions.

Mr Croft said: “We would normally look to open a consultation for a full six week period, but given the timeframe forced upon us, three weeks is the most we can offer in order to leave enough time for officers to review and implement changes in time for the next financial year.”